Method and apparatus for cooling and drying acetylene



Aug. 29, 1944. E. :GFELLER METHOD .AND APPARATUS FOR COOLING AND DRYING ACETYLENE Filed April 20, 1943 IIIIII |||||Il! llllllOlInln. 1:

Patente d A ug. 2 9,

. UNITED? STATES 1 PATENT orrlca METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COOLING 1 AND DRYING ACETYLENE ErnstGfeller, Pratteln, near Basel, Switzerland;

vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application April 20, 1943, Serial No. 483,828 In Switzerland March 17,1942 I (cus -4) 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to a method for reducing the temperature in the drum of an 3 apparatus for the gasification of calcium carbide. According to the invention, a part of the quantity oi the acetylene gas leaving the apparatus is cooled. by means of a cooling device and is thereafter caused to return back to the carratusis as follows:

' bide drum.

The accompanying drawing illustrates schematically in Figs. 1 and 2 two examples of embodiment oi the apparatus for the execution of the above said method,3this apparatus forming also the oppositeaxle or the drum, through which cooled acetylene'gas is conducted back into'the, carbide drum a, h is a cooling coil, which is arranged in a vessel 1 containing a cooling liquid, k1 is a vessel for the reception of condensed water from the cooling coil h, o is a gas conveying blower, g is a water motorrotating the shaft n,

which also drives the blower o.

The operation oi! the above'described appa- By means of the blower o a part of the quantity oi acetylene gas leaving, the drum 0 through .the outlet pipe'e is first sucked. through the pipe e1, then through the cooling coil h, in which the gas is cooled; and finally through the vessel hr, in which is retained the condensed water, where- -after the gas is conveyed back to the carbide drum a' through the hollow shai't n. I

When the carbide is gasifled, reaction heat is developed which heats the acetylene gas. Owin to this, secondary reactions take place causin losses of acetylene gas. The advantage of thecooling device resides in the fact, that the acetylene gas produced in the carbide drum is mixed 'with cooled gas which is returned to the carbide drum, whereby the temperature in the latter is considerably reduced. Owing to this reduction of temperature, secondary reactions in-the drum are avoided.

- Thecontrol of the gas blower is advantageously eflected as schematically illustrated'i. e. from the rotating shaft of the drum, the cooling being .thus so controlled that it only takes place'when the carbide drum rotates.

cooling of the acetylene: gas returning to the drum is efiected indirectly by means oi! a watercooler. The cooling can also be attained in a different manner. In the apparatus shown in Fig.

2, the acetylene gas is cooled by washing the latter with cooled water. The water system forms a closed circuit, in which the water is conveyed by means of a pump. In this circuit is arranged 'a' water-cooler, by means of which the water is alwayscooled. The apparatus according to Fig. 2 comprises besides this cooling system and the parts mentioned with regard to Fig. 1

-a column i in which are arranged plates h.

The column i is screwed on a water collecting vessel k1. From this 'vessel thewater is conveyed by means of a pump 01 through a cooler q. respectively through its coil 1; and is conducted into the top part of the washing column 1. The

acetylene gas sucked by the gas blower 0 is conducted through the pipe e1 into the water vessel k1, wherei'rom it is caused to flow through the column 1. in the opposite direction to the wash water current and is then conveyed in its cooled condition by the blower 0 which causes it to return through the hollow shaft n into the carbide drum a which is rotated by means of an electric driving motor g1.

The control of the pump 01 as well as of the gas blower 0 is eflected by means of electric motors, which are in such relationship (not shown) with the'driving water motor 01, that when the latter is at a standstill, the two other v motors will also be at rest, so that interruption ofthe circuit of the water as'well as of the cirene gas from the reaction chamber, washing this I portion with cold water and returning the gas In the embodiment according to Fig. 1,; the

cult of the gas flowing through take place simultaneously,

What I claim is:

I 1. In the dry production of acetylene from cal cium carbide by reaction with a minor excess of water, the method-of controlling the temperature and humidity of the reaction which consists in drawing off a portion of thehot humid acetylene the column will gas from the reaction chamber, cooling this portion to condense water vapor, separating the condensate from this gasportion and returning the gas portion to the reaction zone.

2. In the dry production of acetylene from calcium carbide by reaction with a minor excess of water, th method of cooling and drying the hot humid acetylene thus produced which consists in drawing 01! a portion of the hot humidacetylportion to the reaction zone.

3. In the production Of acetylene from cal cium carbide by reaction with a minor excess or water, the method 01 cooling and drying the hot humid acetylene thus produced which consists in drawing oil a portion'of the hot humid acetyl ene gas from the reaction chamber simultaneously with and proportionately to therate at whichthe reaction is carried out, cooling this portion to condense water vapor, separatingv the condensate irom'this gas portion and returning the gas portion to'the reaction zone. v v

4. In an apparatus for generating acetylene gas comprising a reaction chamber for calcium carbide, means for feeding water to the carbide and a discharge for the acetylene gas generated} means for controlling the temperature and .hu midity of the gas comprising a pipe for withdrawliquid trap connected to the cooler, a pipe from the trap to the reaction chamber and means for pumpingthe gas through the return pipe.

6. In an apparatus for generating acetylene gas comprising a reaction chamber for calcium carbide, means for feeding water to the carbide and;

a discharge for the acetylene gas generated;

means for cooling and drying the gas comprising a pipe for withdrawing a portion of the gas from the discharge, a washing tower'connected to the pipe, a return pipe from the tower to the reaction chamber and means for pumping the gas through the return pipe.

7. In an apparatus for generating'acetylene gas comprising a reaction chamber for calcium carbide, means for feeding water to the carbide and ing a portion or the gas from the discharge, a

cooler connected to the pipe, areturn pipe from the cooler to the reaction chamberv and a pump between the cooler and the return pipe;

5. In an apparatus for generating acetylene gas comprising a reaction chamber for calcium carbide, means for feeding water to the carbide and a discharge for the acetylene gas generated; means for cooling and drying the gas comprising a pipe for withdrawing a portion of the gas from.

the discharge, a cooler connected tothe pipe, a

sans-r GFEILEB. 

